"We Can Do Better Than This"

January 11, 2011

Dear St. Paul’s Family,

On Monday afternoon, soaring 250 miles above the earth, the commander of the International Space Station spoke to the world. Flight controllers in Houston fell hushed, listening to each carefully crafted word:

“As I look out the window, I see a very beautiful planet that seems very inviting and peaceful. Unfortunately, it is not. These days, we are constantly reminded of the unspeakable acts of violence and damage we can inflict upon one another, not just with our actions, but also with our irresponsible words. We're better than this. We must do better.” [1]

These poignant words were uttered by astronaut Scott Kelly, who this week is most notable for more than just his endeavors in orbit. He is also the brother-in-law of Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords, one of the victims of Saturday’s shooting in Tucson, Arizona. Though his vantage point afforded him a placid, serene view of the planet, Commander Kelly was not distant enough to escape the cold, harsh realities of a world fractured by violence, hatred, and suffering.

The shocking event that killed six and injured thirteen was a vivid reminder to all of us of the brokenness of the human condition. The following day, churches around the world gathered around their baptismal fonts to observe Baptism of the Lord Sunday. As we stood to reaffirm the vows we received at our own baptism, I was struck by the following words:

Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves?

Most of the time, the words of our liturgy are precise, economical, and direct. But the power of this particular vow is in its open-endedness. When we talk about wrestling against evil, injustice, and oppression, we aren’t talking about children’s sermon sins or Sunday school foibles. We are talking about forces that don’t conform to our pre-conceived notions, and are subtle enough to sneak into our communal conscience. They present themselves, as if they have a life and mind of their own, like a serpent emerging from a garden’s shadows. They appear in whatever forms, which means we have to be diligent and sober, determined to unmask them. While we’d prefer to view humanity from the safety of the skies, we are called to holy investigation, to expose the evils, injustices, and oppressions that run rampant throughout the world.

· Through baptism, we have the freedom and power to resist the evils of hateful and polarizing rhetoric, from either extreme of the political spectrum. Words that leave the realm of earnest debate and thoughtful disagreement and put lives at risk have no place in our society, let alone the Kingdom of God.

· Through baptism, we have the freedom and power to resist the injustice of the public availability of certain guns whose only purpose is to kill masses of people. This is not a slight to the Second Amendment, but a call for sanity against a market that sells a 9-millimeter Glock, the gun which the alleged shooter used. It is a gun that Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign, said is “not suited for hunting or personal protection. What it’s good for is killing and injuring a lot of people quickly.” [2]

· Through baptism, we have the power and freedom to resist the oppression of undiagnosed and untreated mental illness, which affects millions of Americans every year. People walk through life in the shadow of any of a number of forms of depression, unwilling or unable to find help because of social stigma, fear, or lack of access to quality health care, therapy, and medication.

Of course, in the end, the diabolical act of wickedness allegedly committed by Jared Loughner is his blame most fully to assume. But any of us who call ourselves Christians and are claimed by God in our baptisms cannot sit back passively with a space station perspective while the world spirals in sin. Simply put, our baptism will not allow us this option. We have no choice but to resist.

Yesterday, Jim Wallis, founder of the Christian social action group Sojourners, published an article that frames an alternative for any Christian wishing to take his or her baptism seriously in a world of such brokenness. He calls for Christians to form a new kind of community:

A central calling for Christians is to be peacemakers. Peace, we understand, is not simply the absence of current conflict, but the presence of a just community. In the midst of tragedy and violence, I believe this means every Christian must ask themselves: "How am I responsible?" What more can we do to bring peace to this world as the Prince of Peace has called us to do? What are the situations and environments that allow this kind of hate and violence to grow? How can I not only stop conflict, but also be a part of bringing about a just community that displays the positive presence of peace?

As many have already said, we must honor this tragic event and Gabby's national service by reflecting deeply on how we speak to and about one another, and how we create environments that help peace grow, or allow violence and hatred to enter. Many of us who would never consider violence of the fist have been guilty of violence in our hearts and with our tongues. We need to be able to relate to others with whom we disagree on important issues without calling them evil. The words we say fall upon the balanced and unbalanced, stable and unstable, the well-grounded and the unhinged, alike. [3]

Yes, in the words of Commander Scott Kelly, “we can do better than this.” We do not need to sit idly by while a world filled with evil, injustice, and oppression suffers senseless tragedy. The church is called by God to embody the message and vision of Jesus Christ, and to carry hope to a hurting world. We have the freedom and power to make it happen, and it is work we must do.

Our baptism will not allow us to do otherwise.

Grace and Peace,

Magrey

The Rev. Magrey R. deVega
St. Paul's United Methodist Church
531 W. Main St.
Cherokee, IA 51012
Ph: 712-225-3955
http://www.cherokeespumc.org


[1] http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=13824041
[2] http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/10/opinion/10collins.html
[3] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-wallis/an-attack-on-the-soul-of_b_807020.html



WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY
We continue in our sermon series “Living Your Baptism” with a sermon titled, “Renounce, Reject, and Repent.” It will be based on Romans 6:1-14, which is Paul’s call for us to live and die with Christ.

UMW RECOGNITION
The United Methodist Women will be conducting their annual recognition ceremony this Sunday. During that time, you will learn more about the UMW as they extend an invitation to all women of the church to participate. In addition, some members of our congregation will be receiving special recognition from the UMW for their contributions to the ministries of the church.

SPECIAL OFFERING THIS SUNDAY
We begin a new year of giving toward our Rainbow Covenant Missions program with a special offering toward Human Relations Sunday.